Answer: England
England was the host nation for the 2022 European Women's Football Championship - generally referred to as the Women's Euro 2022 or just Euro 2022. It was the second time the country had hosted the tournament (having first done so in 2005) and the difference in the public reception and interest in women's football between the two tournaments held 17 years apart was stark. Back in 2005, the matches were all held in the north-west of England in front of audiences of just a few thousand people (excepting those involving England and the final, which just over 20,000 attended); in 2022 the final was held at Wembley Stadium in front of a crowd of nearly 90,000.
This question was written by the quiz host for this Phoenix Rising event, England's Fifiona81.
From Quiz: UEFA Euro 2022
Answer: British Columbia
Sinclair was born on 12th June 1983 and hails from Burnaby, British Columbia. She debuted on the senior national soccer team on 12th March, 2000 at the tender age of 16.
From Quiz: Christine Sinclair
Answer: Karen Carney
England looked to be heading for a disappointing draw against Finland after conceding the lead in the penultimate minute of normal time. In stoppage time, the 17-year old winger struck the winning goal into the roof of the net. The game finished 3-2 to England. In this televised match, as she ran in celebration to the touchline, her profanity could be clearly lip-read by the watching audience, including Karen's mother who, after initial congratulation, had some stern words to say to her daughter.
From Quiz: Women's English Soccer
Answer: Bronze
The women's soccer team, captained by Sinclair, won the first Canadian medal in a team sport in the Summer Olympics in over 70 years. The last Canadian team to accomplish the feat was the 1936 men's Basketball team, who won a silver medal at the Berlin games.
From Quiz: Christine Sinclair
Answer: Hope Powell
Hope Powell started her footballing career at Millwall and played in FA Women's Cup winning sides three times over her career. For her work in the sport at playing and coaching levels, she has been awarded the Order of the British Empire, and was also the first ever woman to receive the UEFA pro-licence badge.
From Quiz: Women's English Soccer
Answer: Sincy
She also goes by "Sinc" occasionally, although she is most often referred to as Sincy by her teammates and coaches. Captain Canada and Clutch would suit her as well, although she has never been given either of those monikers.
From Quiz: Christine Sinclair
Answer: Ewood Park
Alongside Preston North End's Deepdale, Manchester City's Maine Road, Warrington Wolves Rugby League Football Club's Halliwell Jones Stadium and also Blackpool's Bloomfield Road ground, Blackburn Rovers were one of the host clubs, and their Ewood Park venue played host to the Euro 2005 final. The game was played between Germany and Norway. Germany recorded a comprehensive 3-1 win to take the title.
From Quiz: Women's English Soccer
Answer: Italy
The Italian women struggled during the Euro 2022 tournament. During their first Group D match, they were down 5-0 to France before striker Martina Piemonte scored the team's only goal in the 76th minute. Next, the ladies took on Iceland and again were only able to score one goal, this time by mid-fielder Valentina Bergamaschi, ending the match in a draw. Italy's final group D match was a 0-1 loss to Belgium, giving the Italians only one qualifying group point for advancement. France and Belgium went on to qualify for the knockout stage with 7 and 4 points respectively.
This question was written by Phoenix Rising's BigTriviaDawg who knows the best place to get a uniform is in New Jersey.
From Quiz: UEFA Euro 2022
Answer: 3
Sinclair gave one of the greatest Canadian performances of the 2012 Games, scoring three goals against the #1 ranked team in the world. The referee, Christina Pedersen, called a rare time-wasting foul on Canadian goalkeeper Erin Mcleod with the Canadians up 3-2. The USA were given a free kick, which became a penalty kick after a borderline handball in the box. Abby Wambach tied the game for the Americans, sending it into overtime. The game ended on an added time goal by Alex Morgan of the USA, Canada to lose 4-3. Sinclair later criticized the officiating, saying the referee wanted the Americans to win. She was suspended four games by FIFA for her comments.
From Quiz: Christine Sinclair
Answer: 1895
Women's football was later, in December 1921, banned by the Football Association on grounds that "Complaints have been made as to football being played by women, the council feel impelled to express their strong opinion that the game of football is quite unsuitable for females and ought not to be encouraged." (TheFA.com) It was not until 1969, 74 years after this first recorded match, that the Women's Football Association was formed. In 1971, the ban on women's teams playing at the grounds of FA membership clubs was finally lifted.
From Quiz: Women's English Soccer
Answer: England
England came into the tournament ranked 3rd in the FIFA Women's World Rankings. They were drawn into Group A with Norway (12th), Austria (21st), and Northern Ireland (48th). England and Germany were the only two teams in the tournament to make it through the Group stage without conceding a goal. England did so by dispatching Austria 1-0, Norway 8-0, and Northern Ireland 5-0. Star forward Beth Mead scored a hattrick in the fixture against Norway.
Phoenix Rising's JCSon is looking forward to the day that women's football gets as much coverage as the men's game does.
From Quiz: UEFA Euro 2022
Answer: University of Portland
Sinclair had connections to Portland, as her uncles Bruce and Brian Gant played soccer professionally for the Portland Timbers in the North American Soccer League. Brian played there for 6 seasons from 1977-1982, while Bruce played in Portland for 4 seasons from 1979-1982.
From Quiz: Christine Sinclair
Answer: Mike Newell
Mike Newell's exact words, as quoted by the BBC were: "She shouldn't be here. I know that sounds sexist but I am sexist. This is not park football, so what are women doing here?" Newell was no stranger to controversy, previously suggesting football league corruption in the form of "bungs" and later verbally attacking the Luton Town board, who were his employers. Mike Newell was sacked from his position as manager of Luton Town shortly afterwards, and the club finished the season with relegation to League One.
From Quiz: Women's English Soccer
Answer: Canada's Athlete of the Year
Sinclair was the first soccer player to ever win the award. She also won the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award as Canada's Top Female Athlete the same year.
From Quiz: Christine Sinclair
Answer: Everton
Rachel Unitt has played for all the teams mentioned. In 2003, she joined Everton Ladies and later re-joined after a 7-game spell in the USA playing for New Jersey Wildcats, alongside England teammate Rachel Yankey. In the same season as the Euro 2005 tournament, Rachel was awarded the honour of "England Women's Player of the Year".
From Quiz: Women's English Soccer
Answer: Tesco
The sponsorship by Tesco of women's football came as a blow to women's sections of financially struggling clubs, as Tesco declared what they called a "value in kind" policy rather than a traditional sponsorship, would be the backbone of the deal, with the emphasis on development rather than rewards for results. The "value in kind" deal refers to the idea of promotion of matches rather than financial incentive.
From Quiz: Women's English Soccer
Answer: England won 2-1 after extra time
Over a century's worth of footballing history between England and Germany - albeit the vast majority of it relating to the men's game - has led to matches between the two countries being viewed (by England fans at least) as a meeting of arch-rivals. In the women's game, prior to the 2022 tournament Germany had won the title eight times (once as West Germany) and never lost a final, while England's best result had been taking the runners-up position twice. The two countries had also met in the final at the 2009 tournament, which Germany went on to win 6-2.
The 2022 final proved to be a close match. England took the lead thanks to a goal by substitute Ella Toone after just over an hour of play, but Germany's Lina Magull scored an equaliser in the 79th minute, sending the match into extra time. The first-half of extra time was goalless, but England's Chloe Kelly (another substitute) scored the winning goal in the 110th minute of the match to secure England's women their first major championship title.
This question was kicked into the back of the quiz net by Phoenix Rising's Fifiona81.
From Quiz: UEFA Euro 2022
Answer: 6
Sinclair scored six goals in six games, one ahead of USA rival Abby Wambach.
From Quiz: Christine Sinclair
Answer: Sheffield FC
Sheffield FC were formed in October 1857 and are officially recognised as "The Oldest Football Club in the World". Hallam FC were the second oldest, and their Sandygate Road ground is recognised by the Guiness book of Records as "The Oldest Football Ground in the World". In 2007, Notts County, founded 1862, claimed the title of the oldest English football league club.
From Quiz: Women's English Soccer
Answer: Lena Oberdorf
Born in December 2001, Lena Oberdorf is a midfielder who signed with Verein für Leibesübungen (VfL) Wolfsburg in 2020 and who was the winner of the inaugural UEFA's Young Player of the Tournament award in 2022. The award is made by the UEFA technical observers to the best performing player throughout the tournament. The player is considered to have been outstanding individually and as part of a team, making a major impact on her team's performances. Not surprisingly, Lena Oberdorf was also named in the 'UEFA Team of the Tournament', a team comprising the best players from all the competing teams.
Oberdorf is known for her proficiency in winning the ball from the opposing side, her range of passing skills, and ability to read the game in which she passes to just the right person to create scoring opportunities. Analysis of her play shows that she wins around 63% of the duels in which she engages.
This question was awarded a place in the quiz by Phoenix Rising member VegemiteKid, whose vast (!) knowledge of the game of soccer...er...football... is handed down from her kids.
From Quiz: UEFA Euro 2022
Answer: Portland Thorns
The NWSL is a professional women's soccer league based in the USA. Its first season was 2013, when it had 8 teams. National team players from Canada, Mexico, and the USA were allowed to submit a list of teams they preferred to play for, and Sinclair got her first choice in Portland. She had grown attached to the city during her time at the University of Portland. Canadian goalkeeper and longtime friend Karina LeBlanc was the other Canadian National player allocated to the Thorns.
From Quiz: Christine Sinclair
Answer: USA
The USA won the inaugural competition in 1991 and for a second time in 1999 when they first hosted the competition. They hosted the competition for an unusual second time in a row. In 2003, the tournament was originally scheduled to be played in China, but the outbreak of the SARS virus forced a hasty change of venue. Despite being hosts of the tournament, they were unable to make it past the semi-finals, being beaten 3-0 by Germany who went on to win their first World Cup Final, beating Sweden 2-1 in extra time. The match was decided in the 98th minute of play by a "golden goal", the controversial extra-time sudden death system which was later scrapped due to it's unpopularity.
From Quiz: Women's English Soccer
Answer: Beth Mead
Beth Mead is an English professional footballer who plays forward for Arsenal in the Women's Super League (WSL) and on the English National Team. She led England to their first major tournament win ever. In the tournament she won the Golden Boot, Player of the Tournament, and Top Assist Provider.
Her accomplishments in the UEFA Tournament should not have been a complete surprise as Mead excelled years earlier in the WSL playing for Sunderland, becoming the youngest WSL Golden Boot winner ever in 2015. That year she also won the FA WSL Player's Player of the Year Award, the PFA Young Player of the Year Award, the England Young Player of the Year Award, the inaugural North East FWA (Football Writers' Association) Ladies Player of the Year Award, the Sunderland Player of the Year Award, the Sunderland Supporters' Player of the Year Award, and the SportsByte Sports Person of the Year Award.
This question was kicked into the quiz by Phoenix Rising's tazman6619. He shoots! He scores!
From Quiz: UEFA Euro 2022
Answer: Striker
Sinclair plays as a striker, or forward, for her national and club teams. She has proven to be one of the best goal scorers in the world thanks to her poise and clinical finishing abilities.
From Quiz: Christine Sinclair